How to run Christmas bingo at a class party

Bingo is the party game that works for a whole room at once: everyone plays at their seat, nobody sits out, and it fills exactly as much time as you need. With picture cards, kids who can't read yet play just as well as the third graders. Here's how to run it so it stays fun from the first call to the last prize.

How many cards you need

• •One card per child, plus two or three spares for a surprise guest or a torn card.
• •Our set has 30 different cards, so a class of up to 30 gets no repeats.
• •For a bigger group, some cards will match. Hand matching cards to kids at different tables, and expect those two to call bingo together.
• •Pre-K and kindergarten: let kids play in pairs if the room is short on helpers. One finds the picture, the other marks it.

Before the party

1. 1Print the cards and the caller's kit (printing tips are below).
2. 2Cut the calling cards apart and put them in a gift bag, a stocking or a Santa hat to draw from.
3. 3Pick your markers. Mini marshmallows, pom-poms, buttons and plastic chips all work; check the class allergy list before using candy.
4. 4Put a few markers in a cup at each seat so you aren't passing a bowl around mid-game.
5. 5Pack prizes, plus a pen and the caller's checklist.

How to call it

1. 1Draw a card, hold the picture up for the room and read the name: “Reindeer ice skating!”
2. 2Wait for the slowest table to look before you draw again. Ten to fifteen seconds a call is about right for little kids.
3. 3Tick the picture off on the caller's checklist as you go, so you can check a winner in seconds.
4. 4When someone shouts BINGO, have them read their row back to you. Check each one against the checklist.
5. 5If two kids win on the same call, both win. Ties happen in about one game in five.

How long a game takes

With a full class, a regular game (five in a row) is usually won after about 10 calls, which is two or three minutes. That's great for little attention spans but quick for a party, so plan to play several rounds and change the goal each time:

• •Five in a row: about 10 calls. A good warm-up.
• •Four corners: about 14 calls.
• •An X (both diagonals): about 21 calls.
• •Full card: the last few calls, usually two or three kids at once. A great final round, because the whole room is close at the end.

Where it fits in the party

• •Most class parties run 45 to 90 minutes. Bingo fills 15 to 20 minutes for four or five rounds.
• •It works well as the opener, since kids are seated and calm while late helpers arrive.
• •It also works while snacks are being eaten: one helper calls, the others pour juice.
• •Or save it for the end, when kids are tired and coats are going on. You can stop after any round.
• •Running stations? A bingo table with one adult caller plays a round in each rotation.

Prizes that don't cause tears

• •Keep prizes small and alike, so nobody minds who won what: stickers, pencils, erasers or candy canes.
• •Have more prizes than rounds, since ties are common.
• •Let each winner be the next caller instead of, or as well as, a prize. Kids love drawing the cards.
• •Once a child wins, they can keep playing for fun but pass the next prize on, so more kids get one.
• •Finish with a full-card round where everyone gets a small treat at the end, winner or not.

Printing tips

• •Print at Actual size (100%) on US Letter, or choose “fit to page” on A4.
• •Print the cards in color. The pictures are much easier for little kids to match than in black and white.
• •Cardstock holds up to sticky fingers and stays flat under markers; regular paper is fine for one party.
• •You only need as many cards as you have kids. Print just those pages from the cards PDFs.
• •To play again next year, slip each card into a sheet protector and use dry-erase markers.
• •Print the calling cards on cardstock too. They get handled the most.

Using it at school

A purchase covers printing cards for your own class party, family or group. If another room parent or teacher wants the set for their class, they'll need their own copy.